Awso Peshdary appeared in court on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010. His original arrest was part of the RCMP’s Project Samossa that saw three other Muslim men arrested and held on a variety of terrorist charges.Illustration by Greg Banning
/ The Ottawa Citizen

Related

OTTAWA — Members of Awso Peshdary’s family attempted to visit him at the Ottawa Regional Detention Centre Monday, but according to his lawyer they were turned away.

Richard Morris said it is “unclear” why the family was not allowed to see Peshdary.

“It could have been innocuous, but I just don’t know,” said Morris, adding that he has been unable to get a clear answer from the jail.

The Citizen was unable to get an explanation from the provincial Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services that administers the detention centre and speaks on its behalf.

The 20-year-old call centre worker was arrested during a dramatic anti-terrorist swoop early Friday in the Hunt Club area.

Since then he has been at the centre of a bizarre legal roller coaster at Ottawa courthouse where over the weekend he was taken to answer charges of assault and uttering threats.

Peshdary’s arrest was part of the RCMP’s Project Samossa that saw three other young Muslim men arrested and held on a variety of terrorist charges last week.

After a six-hour interrogation Friday, the RCMP released Peshdary into the custody of Ottawa police who charged him with one count of assault and one count of uttering a threat. The charges are not related to the terrorism probe.

He was granted bail by Justice of the Peace Ray Switzer on Saturday but immediately re-arrested before he had a chance to leave the court building.

He was charged on two more counts and on Sunday and ordered held in custody by Switzer until a bail hearing today.

The weekend hearings were subject to a publication ban that restricts news media from reporting details of what was said in the courtroom.

Morris is critical of police and prosecutors and says they are using the assault allegations to hold Peshdary while the RCMP attempts to gather more evidence against him.

The Sunday charges, which Morris described as a “pile on” related to an incident in April.

“On the face of it the domestic (assault) charges are being used to further another investigation,” he said Sunday.

“I assume the RCMP received this information (about the assaults), considered it and decided not to act on it because they had other issues they considered more important, or because they didn’t consider it a valid or credible threat.”

Morris told the Citizen that the arrest came as a total shock to Peshdary who has never been in trouble with police “and never even had a speeding ticket.”

“He gets up to go to work in the morning and the next thing he knows the windows of his car are smashed and there are guns pointing at his head,” he said.

Peshdary’s car was badly damaged when it was rammed by a police vehicles, but officers say he offered no resistance.

Morris said he visited his client in jail Monday and found him in slightly better spirits than he had been throughout the weekend.

“The removal of the on-going threat of another lengthy interrogation has helped,” he said.

“When you’re sitting in the police station you never know when they’re coming to get you for another round.”

The lawyer said he believes that Peshdary should not be in jail for the charges against him.

“Fifty per cent of the time a person would be released from jail with conditions,” he said, “and in the other 50 per cent of cases a court appearance would typically result in release.”

As of Monday evening, a Facebook group calling for Peshdary’s release had a little less than 80 members.

“Free the innocent … keep your head up A.P.,” wrote one Facebook supporter.

“Innocent until proven guilty,” someone else wrote. “… I remember an incredible athlete with pride, determination and empathy. To his family my prayers, to his parents and sister my sympathy.”

Morris said he expects today’s bail hearing to go ahead as scheduled and that no more assault-related charges will be laid against Peshdary.

The three other suspects — Hiva Alizadeh, 30, Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26 and Khurram Syed Sher, 28, are also being held at the Innes Road detention centre.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.